Sit Down and Shut Up -- Juan Cole Lashes Out

Juan Cole has never been a particularly stable individual, particularly in his internet forays. I lost all respect for him as a commentator and as a person when, in one of his periodic tirades, he accused two of his critics [Iraqi bloggers, Omar and Muhammed of Iraq the Model] of being "CIA plants." Not only was the accusation untrue and hurtful, it was dangerous. It could easily have cost the Baghdad bloggers their and their families' lives.

Repulsive and despicable behavior has not, however, impeded Cole's academic career. He is tenured at the University of Michigan and is currently being considered for a position at Yale. Recently Cole tangled with Christopher Hitchens on the subject of Iran. Michael Young, writing in Reason, summarizes the argument and gives an example of Cole's vituperative style:

So sit down and shut up, American Enterprise Institute, and Hudson Institute, and Washington Institute for Near East Poslicy [sic], and American Heritage Institute, and this institue [sic] and that institute, and cable "news", and government "spokesmen", and all the pundit-ferrets you pay millions to make business for the American military-industrial complex and Big Oil.

We don't give a rat's ass what Ahmadinejad thinks about European history or what pissant speech the little shit gives.

I call on university students across America to begin holding antiwar rallies. The only way you can have a war on Iran is to draft the young people. It is you who are on the line. Demonstrate! Demonstrate against the very hint of war! Demonstrate to end the one we've already got! (See Speaker's Forum on Iraq

Here is what the real Iran experts think about the prospect of an Iran war.

Because Hitchens's dirty tricks and lies against me are only the beginning. Whoever stands against the Perpetual War machine will be attacked, slimed, marginalized, and destroyed if the warmongers get their way. I don't care. Thus far and no farther.

One, two, three, four. We don't want your stinking war!

Yep..., he'll fit right in at Yale. Sad, but true.

Here's Hitch's Slate piece.

Here's Cole's response.

Here's Sully's take on the matter.

Read Young's piece here.

Hitchens discusses the contratemps with Hugh Hewitt here.